How To Plan For Your Senior Session

Your senior session is the one thing you look forward to for your senior year. So, how do you plan for your senior session? When do you start planning? It’s my job to eliminate as much stress as possible for my clients, and senior photography is so much fun. I found the passion for photographing senior sessions when one of my very first seniors came to her session with her basketball uniform, her Ukulele, and 2nd outfit of choice. The whole session was tons of fun, and I loved showcasing her unique personality. There are so many ways that you can make your session the best experience possible. Below you will find tips for hair, make-up, wardrobe styling, and more! Enjoy!

Choosing Your Outfits

It’s easy to look on Pinterest or Instagram, and compare your personal style, or try to change it. Don’t do that! Be authentic to your personality, and choose pieces that flatter your body.

Be Comfortable

If you try wearing an outfit that is fitted, but you don’t like how it looks, don’t wear it! Chances of you loving it when you see the images are very low. A good rule of thumb is, if it makes you uncomfortable, or self-conscious leave it at home! We will be doing a lot of walking around, sitting, and kneeling during the session, so if you do want to wear heels make sure you wear flats until we are ready to start shooting.

Brighten It Up

I do see a lot of people come to their sessions wearing the standard black & white. If that’s your style, and authentic to you then wear that, but make sure to add pops of color to brighten it up. Wearing just black or white without any pop can make skin tones look washed out on camera. Try wear colors that compliment your skin tone, and hair color. Below you’ll see Sarah paired her dark caprices with a beautiful magenta colored top, and light denim jacket. Karli chose orange which not only flatters her skin tone, and hair, but orange makes blue eyes pop.

Layer Up

During the cooler months spring & fall, add layers to your outfit. A duster cardigans is my favorite go to when adding layers. During the winter months you can always pair outfits with a cute denim or leather jacket to add some dimension. During the summer you can add layers with a cropped, thin cardigan. KayMarie’s outfits are my favorite example of layering for both cool, and warmer weather. For her first outfit she paired her denim shirt with a bright red cardigan, and added a light brown hat. For her second outfit, she pair her black sleeveless top with this beautiful thin laced cardigan.

Accessories

You can never have too many accessories! Adding accessories to your session is a great way to showcase your personal style, and give even more dimension to your outfit. If they have personal meaning, that’s even better. Don’t worry about over accessorizing. Just pair different combinations to find what you love. I’m using KayMarie’s image again for reference, the onyx ring, the Harley-Davidson necklace, and pocket-watch necklace have very significant meaning to her & her family. The pocket watch necklace represents the time period that she not only loves, but is creating a novel around that time period. The onyx ring was given to her by her mom, and the Harley Davidson necklace her dad gave to her mom, because he had a Harley when they were dating so they would always ride together.

Amy chose to add bangles, and a simple Stirling silver necklace for her look. Bangles always translate beautifully on camera.

Put it all together, & mix it up!

For your session make sure you have a variety of different looks that represent your personal style, and lifestyle at this time. I always send over a detailed questionnaire that helps my seniors choose their outfit, and the one question I ask is, “How would you describe your style?” Is it preppy, edgy, sporty, casual, cozy, bright & fun? You always want to have 2-3 different looks to choose from.

Hair & Make-Up

When it comes to your hair & make-up, you can do it yourself, or you can eliminate that stress by hiring a professional hair & make-up artist. They know what they are doing, and how to do your make-up, and hair in a way that showcases YOU! When my clients book me, I have some recommendations ready to give to them.

I hope this blog post has you feeling more prepared for your senior session, and what to expect. Want to know more about booking your senior session? Just click here.